UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Human Rights Council review

Background

When creating the Human Rights Council in March 2006 (resolution 60/251), the United Nations General Assembly decided that the Council shall review its work and functioning five years after it has come into existence. It also provided that the status of the Council is to be reviewed at the level of the General Assembly.

Intergovernmental Working Group on the Council Review

In October 2009, at its 12th session, the Council established an open-ended intergovernmental working group on the review of the work and functioning of the Human Rights Council (by resolution 12/1).

Pre-sessional initiatives

A number of informal initiatives were convened by Member States and observers to discuss the scope of the review and reflect on various proposals. In addition, several rounds of informal consultations were convened by the Council President to delineate the process and the modalities of the review. During the 15th session of the Council, the President presented an oral progress report and in this context, informed the membership of the joint understanding reached with the President of the General Assembly in New York on the coordination of the review processes of the Council and the General Assembly.

First session of the Working Group on the Council Review

The Working Group held its first session from 25 to 29 October 2010 which marked the formal launch of the review process in Geneva.

For further information on the HCR Review as well as written contributions submitted to the first session of the intergovernmental working group on the review, please visit the HRC Review section of the HRC Extranet.